To ask for pay increase 3mths into new job?

[Kitkat369]

As an Executive Assistant I came onboard to support two MDs, within a month of joining another EA contracting was given opportunity to make her role perm but instead she quit and her MD did advertise role. During that time my boss asked me to look after this third MD whilst they were looking for perm replacement, so month into job I was lumbered with this third person. This third MD has kept me very busy with endless meetings, travel, expenses, budget and diary. I find MDs emails dominate my inbox. I’m learning to manage it as I’ve had that mentality of “its only temporary whilst they find EA”

Fast forward two months into managing this individual and 3 months into my job and this person met with me to tell me there was a freeze on any hiring and I’d need to help permanently.

Apparently they spoke with my boss about this two weeks before he went away on business (he’s been back this week in office since Tuesday). Not once has he spoken to me about this and I’m not happy. He sent me email last night for a catch up but I cannot help the timing of this vs the third MD telling me the score yesterday has been very poor, he’s my boss and should have spoken with me.

During our catch up which will be next week I want to talk about pay review given my additional responsibilities, how can I broach this?

My problem here is I don’t feel I have leg to stand on plus I’ve just paid a hefty bill for ivf cycles we are due to start in couple of weeks so can’t even quit. But I still want to come across as having upper hand.

AIBU to even ask after 90 days? I just feel like I’m being walked over and I’m starting to feel bitter. I will be pulling up my manager on lack of communication. As his supposed “right hand” he should have told me prior to his trip. I’m losing confidence in him!

You are paid to fulfil an EA role - meetings, travel expenses, budget and diary are the job description. You aren’t paid per head for people you look after - they’ve hired you to fill a function and they haven’t asked you to do anything that is outside that remit.

There is absolutely no reason in the world not to ask. The absolutely worst thing that can happen is they say no, and that really isn’t that bad.

Too many women are underpaid because they don’t want to seem entitled or greedy or difficult. But you aren’t being any of those things - you’re simply pointing out that you are now doing the work of two people, and it’s fair that you be reasonably compensated for that.

You are never wrong to ask for a fair and reasonable pay rise.

In general, more pay is awarded for taking on higher level tasks, not for taking on more of the same. Personally I wouldn't ask for a pay rise in your situation, but if you're feeling cheeky 🤷‍♀️

Is it also not possible that the other MD spoke out of turn, so as far as your manager is aware he is going to be telling you first?

The worse they can say is NO.

I would ask. The workload has significantly increased even if the level of responsibility hasn’t.

You can ask. Your workload has increased so you have a clear reason.

You are paid to fulfil an EA role - meetings, travel expenses, budget and diary are the job description. You aren’t paid per head for people you look after - they’ve hired you to fill a function and they haven’t asked you to do anything that is outside that remit.

Bollocks to that. So, if a doctor was told they needed to increase their patient load by 50%, or a waitress suddenly had to manage 30 tables instead of 20, that would be something they'd just have to do, because it was their job description?
It might just not be physically possible.

OP I think you need to have a frank chat with your boss, but not open with a pay rise request if you really need the job. Often it can be helpful to phrase it as about you wanting to help, and be clear on what you would have to NOT do in order to fulfill another request - eg "I know that organising the annual conference is a priority for you, as is your diary management. However MD3s travel is taking up 30% of my time, so I cannot manage all of these. I could get help with the conference, or reduce diary management or support for md3"
Or be clear that a 3 person job is beyond your scope / suggest you need to work more hours adjust your contract appropriately if that is really what you want and the only option, but after 3 months and really needing this job, it is a slightly riskier option.

@Stuckforthefourthtime I’m an EA. It’s really not impossible to support 3 people as part of a normal workload.

Asking for a payrise... after 3 months? Uhm.. 🤔

Just ask, the worst they can say is no and you might be surprised.

Good luck with your IVF

Are you in your probationary period? Litharge would be my main fear that they’d just go “fuck this just hire someone else”

I suppose it depends on what tasks you do, do you have to work late to achieve the additional support?

If you’re doing the usual diary, phone, travel bookings (PA) then supporting 3 should be manageable. If however, you’re creating packs, taking minutes, creating briefing notes and all sorts of other admin tasks I’d be asking for a raise as an additional person really would be upping the work load and complexity of the role. Presumably the other person has a slightly different role/area of business that you’ve had to become familiar with.

(Have been an EA)

I’m a senior manager, and I say you don’t ask you don’t get, what are they going to do fire you? So long as you are doing a good job and don’t mess about it you get a no I would ask.

They may have a headcount freeze but losing the other person means they have extra capacity in this years set budget (3 MDs = large co I presume so annual planning).

Ask politely, lay out your reasons clearly, extra responsibility, the additional persons high workload, you are happy and enthused by the extra responsibility but feel that it creates additional value in the work you are supplying and that should be remunerated accordingly with only a portion of the flex that has been created by not requiring another full time employee. You are happy to be able to support them permanently in covering 2 roles and save them money by only taking a portion of another’s persons salary.

If your workload is too heavy you need to discuss that. Are you managing to get the work done for all three EAs? Do you need to increase your hours? Did the job description refer to how many EAs would be there?

YANBU - MD3 did have a dedicated EA and was happy to advertise for a new one (how many hours?) so they originally wanted 2 people not just 1 person snowed under. They are saving the whole cost of that EA so only fair you should get a bit more with the increased workload.

@FenellaMaxwell all depends how much work each of those three create.

@Stuckforthefourthtime totally agree with you

First up will a pay rise fix your problem...?
I’m not sure it will.

But if that’s your chosen angle I think it’s about reading the situation and also HOW you ask.

There is a hiring freeze which probably means finance are on their case ie there may literally be NO money... however there’s probably 5k somewhere and if you quit with one weeks notice (probation) they are all up the river without a paddle.

You should certainly explain your role has changed, while you were happy to help on a temporary basis you were advised by X this is now permanent. Is this correct?

Explain you would not have accepted this role at this salary level if you had known this was permanent x3. Ask something open like
“How do you plan to address this?”
Then wait....
the. Conversationally drop a few options:
Payrise
They allocate 3 man to someone else
they review what’s in scope / do some of their own BS like research and tell you specific flights / get their own drinks to lighten your load.

My policy is: you want me to do it, fine. Pay me first though. This has generally stood me in good stead.

Of course you should ask (on a polite and reasonable manner)! They employed you to do a certain job, and now they have increased the scope of that job. For those above who say they would get of you simply for making a reasonable request, I find that a ridiculous suggestion. They would very draconian employers to even think it. And they haven't managed to fill the other PA position easily either so they are hardly likely to want to be without another one! Go for it OP, you deserve it! They are business people - I think they would (or should) respect you more, as they would see that you value your own skills. As a previous poster said, women are frequently underpaid as they don't want to rock the boat by asking. Worst case is that rhey say no. Good luck, I'm sure you'll get it, and keep us updated!

@FenellaMaxwell it totally depends on the three people. I have an EA and in this role, sharing with three would be fine. In past roles with more travel or event organising it would have been impossible.

I want to talk about pay review given my additional responsibilities,

This is exactly what you should say.

So an MD had one EA looking after them full time and now they’re trying to tack these responsibilities onto your existing workload??

You should decide if more money would enable you to support all 3 or whether you want to have same pay but drop some responsibilities - may be dropping a different MD.

If you were brought on to support 2 MDs and it’s now 3 with no prospect of hiring a replacement EA then something has to give and currently it’s you picking up the slack with no additional pay.

I’d go to your review and see if they raise this proactively - if not then, using your own words, ask.

I find end of probation meetings are a good time to ask about pay reviews.

If you're still on probation I wouldn't ask for it now. But ask whether there will be pay review at the end of you me probation to increase your salary based on the extra tasks.

If you're not on probation as it was only 3months then ask ahead.

I agree that you've been asked to do more of the same and you aren't paid per quantity.

In this situation, rather than ask for more money, I'd be saying that you don't have the capacity to do it on a permanent basis.

From the years I've worked in HR, ppl think it's about volume of work when it comes to more money... your job description description will have the same responsibilities as other PAs in the company, so you'd have to go on ability to manage the high volume of work.

It also depends on how formal the pay structure is... in some places an admin officer gets X amount...but there is a pay band.

In terms of equal pay, they may not be legally able to give you a higher salary, as another EA could make a claim against them.

If you worked in a factory and were paid per task, that would be a different scenario.

If they have a trade union, seek advice from them...

I want to talk about pay review given my additional responsibilities,

this ^

And be prepared to be refused, so have a compromise ready to suggest, for example a real pay review in three months or six months earlier than it would have otherwise.

It's good to ask and, since you are not prepared to walk, good to worst case be stuck in no, ok then.

Bear in mind that if you get the requested raise, and all three MDs then pile the work on until you can’t cope, you have less room to manoeuvre because your salary reflects that workload. It might be better in the long run to say that the amount of work isn’t sustainable and ask for a plan to address that- either someone else is recruited, or you drop some of the work.

I personally wouldn't. It is early days for you in the company, the extra work will and should be acknowledged at a staff review if you are there 3 months, there should be a staff review at 6 months.
I took on loads of extra work when the company I worked for got taken over.
I was rewarded with a decent pay increase on my yearly review, they felt I earned it rather than complained about the extra load and force a smaller increase.

I am an EA as well and I wouldn’t accept this. Don’t start with the money but raise that the workload is very much larger than you had anticipated and you had thought there were two EA roles. It isn’t the case that you become someone’s EA then can be used by anyone else as an EA, in fact in my industry EAs tend to be protective of their role and so do their managers because it’s a very relationship based role. Team assistant is a different role. Depending on industry EA to 3 MDs would carry a premium.